Ash is my Spear, and Oak my Shield
by angelofthelightanddark
Summary: Link isn't sure of how they got here, to a forest draped in silver and golden leaves, blooms of the deepest red falling gently to the ground as they wander. The last thing they remember is fighting a Guardian, the bright flash of light as it shot a beam of searing energy towards them. And now here they are, standing at the edge of a bubbling brook.


Link isn't sure of how they got here, to a forest draped in silver and golden leaves, blooms of the deepest red falling gently to the ground as they wander.

The last thing they remember is fighting a Guardian, the bright flash of light as it shot a beam of searing energy towards them.

And now here they are, standing at the edge of a bubbling brook, watching blood-red blossoms drift by on the current.

_Little one, _a voice says, deep and resonant, _you should not be here._

'I don't actually know where here is' Link says, their hands moving rapidly, turning towards where they think the voice is coming from.

There is a soft laugh. _You are between the realms, little one, and it is not meant for mortals._

A man, or at least something man-shaped stands there, tall even as he sits on a boulder beside the brook. A sword lies across his knees, gleaming under the sunlight that filters through the trees. He is clad in dark armor, and a mark of curving lines crosses his forehead.

His hair is the white of winter snow and his eyes are completely blank, and as Link studies him, the being's eyes begin to change.

Green, warm as springtime floods his irises and suddenly Link is frightened of this being, though he has made no move against them.

_Peace, child of Hero's blood. _The voice says. _I mean you no harm._

'What are you?' Link asks.

_I am the raging storm and the calm in the eye of a hurricane. I walk the edge of the blade, neither light nor dark, both a protector of mortalkind and their herald of destruction._

'A god?' Link asks.

_Fierce Deity was the name given to me upon my birth. A god of warfare, of slaughter and swordcraft. You are a mortal who bears the Heart of Courage, and its Power flows through you, as it has through all the champions of the Light throughout the ages._

Link takes a step back.

_Peace, child. _The God says again. _I am merely here to see for myself Hylia's chosen champion. _

'Was I chosen?' Link asks, and the words are sharp, bitter on their fingers. There are nights where all they can see is the Divine Beasts glowing with Ganon's power, hear the dying screams of the people they had sworn to protect and failed. And they can see Zelda's face, hear her begging them to stay as the world grew cold and grey and silent around them, darkness blotting out the last flickers of life as the rain pelted down.

_Whither skyward bound, adrift in the currents of time, or steeped in the embers of twilight, the Sword of the Goddess is bound to the soul of the Hero of Hyrule, _the god says softly. _You are Chosen, and the Destiny is one that all of your blood will bear. _

_You will one day bear that sword again, _the god says, and his eyes are soft as he looks at Link. _She waits for you, you know? The Spirit waiting within the Goddess's Sword as well as the Princess to whom you swore your oath as knight. _

'I know,' Link says, and their hands are swift and sure as they sign. 'I remember her now.'

Bright eyes watch Link, and there is cold steel in that gaze that makes Link shiver.

_Your task, O Champion is not yet done. Return to the world of the living and linger no longer in this sanctuary between worlds._

The words echo like thunder, resounding about Link's ears.

'How?' Link asks, wincing. 'How do I get back?'

The god's eyes seem to soften and he stands, tall and towering over Link. Each step he takes towards Link is soundless and then he drops to one knee before Link, touching their cheek with a gloved hand.

_Close your eyes, little one. _Fierce Deity says, _Hylia and Her Light bless you. _

* * *

Link wakes to the sound of crackling fire, and sound of quiet humming.

"Ah, you're awake," Impa's voice says.

Link manages a slight huff.

"Don't try to move now," she says as Link cracks open their eyes.

"I don't suppose you can tell me what hit you?" Impa asks, and then she is shifting their arms, removing bandages, smearing some kind of cool ointment across their skin, and replacing the linen with fresh ones.

'Guardian,' Link signs.

"You've the Goddess's own luck," Impa says, sighing. "You can thank that horse of yours for getting you back to safety. She dragged your sorry hide into town not a few nights ago. She's outside grazing right now."

She studies Link, and as if hazed by mist, Link remembers blank eyes and a voice weighted with Power. But the memory is dim, and even now Link struggles to understand it, and it slips through their fingers like sand.

"Well, whatever Power saved your life, we are thankful for it," Impa says, "We need Champions now more than ever."

'I know,' Link signs. Two of the Divine Beasts have been cleansed and stand as Protectors once more over their villages. Two more remain, and the Sword that Seals the Darkness must be reclaimed before Link can face Ganon at the heart of Hyrule.

They close their eyes, and then they can hear another voice, sweet and ethereal. _I am waiting, Champion. Come to me, Chosen of Hylia, dearest friend. I await you beneath the boughs of the Great Deku Tree._

Link smiles, recognizing the soft voice that had guided them 100 years ago, that Zelda had once spoken of. They will ride north soon, and claim the Sword that Seals the Darkness and they will make Ganon pay for all that he had stolen from Link, and claim vengeance for the lost Champions and the people of Hyrule.


End file.
